41 international K series

[blind pew]

Just purchased this international K series woodie for a retirement project. I have a few other woodies ('48 Chevrolet fleetmaster, '49 T&C convertible, '47 Chevrolet country club); I restored the '48 myself about 20 years ago and it remains like a new car. I had to replace several wood pieces on the 48, so have experience with that component (a painful learning curve) and can do the mechanical work as well.

 

This piece has powder post beetles. However the seller has examined the wood and it is not "honeycombed" and I sent Boracare to him to treat prior to shipping. Obviously, wood will need to be replaced and the whole thing completely redone, but the parts are all there and the rust is only surface.

 

These undertakings are not for the faint of heart, but been there, done that and I enjoy "the struggle" and learning about the particulars of a car when I work on it. Those green diamond engines are really quite simple and there are rebuild kits available. The suspension on those 1 ton internationals are built like tanks and may be useable as it is now. The electrical as well is quite simple and wiring harnesses are available.

 

I have a complete shop on my farm (it will reside next to my '42  halftrack for the time being) to do the work and will do so on vacation time prior to going full bore when retired.

 

https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/cars-for-sale/international/unspecified/2400510.html

Edited July 3, 2020 by blind pew (see edit history)

[Tom Boehm]

Nice truck!  There is a lot there to work with for an accurate restoration. See my post on my 1940 Lasalle woodie in this section. That was smart to have the seller treat for powderpost beetles. Make sure the infestation is dead before you bring new wood into your shop. Ask me how I know this. There are 17 International woodies in the roster of the National Woodie Club. You should join to do some networking if you are not already a member. Are you going to make the new wood body yourself? Feel free to contact me, I have been through the learning curve already. Do you know what company built the original wood body?

[blind pew]

On ‎7‎/‎4‎/‎2020 at 7:11 AM, Tom Boehm said:

Nice truck!  There is a lot there to work with for an accurate restoration. See my post on my 1940 Lasalle woodie in this section. That was smart to have the seller treat for powderpost beetles. Make sure the infestation is dead before you bring new wood into your shop. Ask me how I know this. There are 17 International woodies in the roster of the National Woodie Club. You should join to do some networking if you are not already a member. Are you going to make the new wood body yourself? Feel free to contact me, I have been through the learning curve already. Do you know what company built the original wood body?

Hello Tom (also a Tom here)

I don't know what company built it, as I have yet to have it delivered to my farm. I will be able to take a closer look then. I guess the options are Campbell or Iona, right?

 

Yes- always best to have beetles/termites treated BEFORE the vehicle arrives. I sent a gallon of Boracare to the seller, who will treat it before shipping. I had beetles and termites in my '48 Chevrolet before I restored it about 20 years ago. It is certainly odd how the outer varnish shell remains, but behind the areas of infestation, it was like honeycombed Styrofoam. When it arrives, I will treat again with Timbor and Boracare. It will initially be in my 150 year old barn that I restored- can't have such critters wrecking the old timbers.

 

I plan on doing the whole thing myself as I like the struggle. You certainly learn a ton during such processes, and that is a part of the attraction. Of course, it would be easier just to send it to a shop and have someone else do it, but there is no fun in that. Most of the wood appears to intact and much of it actually may be useable as is; one never knows until you get into it. This is going to be a project for me extending into retirement, as health issues have prevented me from building another stone house on my farm (I enjoy doing stonework, but it is a little too much manual labor for me at this point). I have three other woodies to drive, so I am in no hurry. Certainly a factor is consideration of "road worthy" condition; a resto-mod can go anywhere, but a stock old car has its limitations and is not suitable for interstate driving. Likewise, over heating in elevation limits drives to certain areas and there is not a plethora of parts at your local garage, should you run into mechanical trouble.

 

Regarding the drivetrain, I have not decided whether to restore the engine and tranny or put in a crate engine and new tranny. Likewise with the suspension- restore or mustang II on the front and triangulated four bar on the rear. It actually costs more to restore, as one has to use a machine shop for some of the engine work. Some think rebuilding an engine is just dropping in new parts; I wish it was that easy. All the grinding and precision work must be done by a machine shop to avoid disaster.

 

I have enjoyed watching the restoration of your LaSalle- it is a beauty. I have made wooden parts for my Chevrolet as well, but did not have to do the whole body. Yes- as I get to it, I would love to "pick your brains" on tips. The wood on this is less challenging than your Lasalle, as many of the parts are only shaped in two dimensions. It is that third dimension of curve that makes things a little tricky. I have looked at your Lasalle and wondered where the hell you came across it. It is not like Lasalle woodies are readily available, even if one pursued that aggressively.

Edited July 5, 2020 by blind pew (see edit history)

[Tom Boehm]

Hello Tom, I encourage you to restore rather than street rod this truck. It appears to be a complete and intact example of a fairly rare woodie. You have a lot more to work with to begin with than I did. If interstate driving is a must,  you can get an aftermarket overdrive unit. Mine is 100% stock and that is a situation I may have to deal with when it is finished. The rear axle ratio on mine is 4.31 : 1. Cantrell is another possibility as to the builder of your woodie. I am originally from St. Louis. My dad and I heard about this Lasalle woodie at a swap meet in St.Louis in 1985. It was in a barn in Illinois nearby. The seller was not actively trying to sell it. Long story short, I did not buy it until 1997. After much research, it is one of two 1940 Lasalle woodies I know of.  Both custom built by Meteor Motor Car Company of Piqua Ohio. The body design on my Lasalle is very square. The only "third dimension"  area is above the windshield and that turned out to be not as hard as I thought it would be. 

[blind pew]

3 hours ago, Tom Boehm said:

Hello Tom, I encourage you to restore rather than street rod this truck. It appears to be a complete and intact example of a fairly rare woodie. You have a lot more to work with to begin with than I did. If interstate driving is a must,  you can get an aftermarket overdrive unit. Mine is 100% stock and that is a situation I may have to deal with when it is finished. The rear axle ratio on mine is 4.31 : 1. Cantrell is another possibility as to the builder of your woodie. I am originally from St. Louis. My dad and I heard about this Lasalle woodie at a swap meet in St.Louis in 1985. It was in a barn in Illinois nearby. The seller was not actively trying to sell it. Long story short, I did not buy it until 1997. After much research, it is one of two 1940 Lasalle woodies I know of.  Both custom built by Meteor Motor Car Company of Piqua Ohio. The body design on my Lasalle is very square. The only "third dimension"  area is above the windshield and that turned out to be not as hard as I thought it would be. 

I guess you are right- it would be a shame to resto-mod it when all the parts are there.  You can get most of the engine parts; they are not plentiful, but not impossible. The gasket rebuild kits and valves are readily available, as well as kits to rebuild the carbeurator, fuel, water, and oil pumps. Connecting rods, cam, and pistons will be "hit and miss". Rebuilding the clutch and tranny won't be that bad.

 

We're from the same neck of the woods- we live in Cape Girardeau. That was indeed a good find regarding the Lasalle.

[blind pew]

On 7/5/2020 at 10:16 AM, Tom Boehm said:

Hello Tom, I encourage you to restore rather than street rod this truck. It appears to be a complete and intact example of a fairly rare woodie. You have a lot more to work with to begin with than I did. If interstate driving is a must,  you can get an aftermarket overdrive unit. Mine is 100% stock and that is a situation I may have to deal with when it is finished. The rear axle ratio on mine is 4.31 : 1. Cantrell is another possibility as to the builder of your woodie. I am originally from St. Louis. My dad and I heard about this Lasalle woodie at a swap meet in St.Louis in 1985. It was in a barn in Illinois nearby. The seller was not actively trying to sell it. Long story short, I did not buy it until 1997. After much research, it is one of two 1940 Lasalle woodies I know of.  Both custom built by Meteor Motor Car Company of Piqua Ohio. The body design on my Lasalle is very square. The only "third dimension"  area is above the windshield and that turned out to be not as hard as I thought it would be. 

 

One of the problems with this particular model is the drivetrain. It has an 83 hp engine and a rear end that is geared rather "short". As a result, my understanding is that this vehicle can only achieve top speeds of 45 mph, which would preclude any highway driving and/or driving for any distance. 

 

Obviously, keeping an original car stock would be nice, but in a stock condition could only be driven short distances on two lane highways. 

[Tom Boehm]

Why did you buy it then? 

[blind pew]

Because it needed to be rescued and I needed another project. One of my hobbies is building stone structures; I had the foundation poured to build another house on my farm. However, health issues preclude me from repetitive lifting, thus I needed a project that I can physically handle. 

 

The advantage of doing a car is that one is confronted with different problems and features on each vehicle, so it is a tremendous learning experience. As you know, it is a practice of incrementalism. I am leaning toward keeping the original engine and simply changing the rear end gear ratio. Those things were made with very short gear ratios and designed for hauling at slower speeds. 83 hp and 146 ft/lbs of torque tells the story. It is not unlike the engine in my White half track, which was designed for the same purpose. Also, "double clutch" driving is a learning curve! The mechanical simplicity of the vehicle is charming. 

 

When I am done, it will look like a new car/truck and have saved it from deteriorating into a heap. 

Edited July 8, 2020 by blind pew (see edit history)

[NewOldWood]

Please post pictures when you get the truck, the Hemmings ad is gone. To each his own, I say. It's your truck, it's your time and money going into it, and when it's done it's you that has to be happy with it. Good luck with your project which ever way you decide to go with it.

[Tom Boehm]

Yes, I leaned on the guy a bit to persuade him to restore it. As you can tell I have strong thoughts about street rods. However, I have to remind myself that a street rod is not illegal or immoral. I like the camaraderie in the old car hobby with people who work with their hands, street rodders included. There is far more in common than not. 

[blind pew]

The car was delivered to my farm last week (one of my boys put it in the barn). I have taken time off in mid August and will go evaluate the situation. From the photos, it appears as though I may be able to use most of the wood; just bleaching and refinishing involved. Also, all of the rust is just surface, so I can use all the sheet metal. Those cars are really quite simple mechanically and this will not be that hard of a restoration. As I live in a different state, however, the restoration will be "piecemeal" until I reach retirement. 

 

The main thing will be to see if I can turn over the engine by hand after shooting some tranny fluid in the spark plug holes over a few days. I have not encountered one engine where I was not eventually able to turn it over; this one sat in a barn, so the damage to the engine will not be as bad as an outside vehicle. 

[Tom Boehm]

I found this while looking for something else. Scroll down for International pictures. 

 

burb         Click on this. 

[blind pew]

Thanks for the link!

[blind pew]

pics from the farm. I have all the plywood panels cut and the pieces of ash replaced that needed it. Have removed the rear axle, fenders, and hood as well as the seats. i have a new front clip, hood, and fenders that are at the painter and the seats are at the upholstery shop. 

 

I finally decided upon a ford explorer rear end with 3.55 gear ratio, while keeping the old style leaf springs and knee shocks (replaced with new or refurbished). Will put a mustang II front end- just could not find all the replacement parts for the KB3 and want to drive it when I'm done. 

 

Using marine varnish for the finish and sealer for the plywood edges. I'll keep the rear deck bare oak rather than replacing with battleship linoleum. 

[Tom Boehm]

The wood looks solid. What color are you going to make the outside sheet metal? Sounds like you prefer the bare oak look in the back floor but if not there are sources for real linoleum. 

[blind pew]

Thanks Tom-

 

It is far more crude than your beautiful LaSalle, but yes- the ash was amazing, which is why I bought it. I plan on yellow for the metal so that I can apply a magnetic "tiger hawk" to the front quarter panels and drive it to Iowa hawkeye football games.  Yellow and black are Iowa (my alma mater, but living in exile in Mo) colors.  I thought the whole thing would take five years, but it is going much faster than anticipated, particularly since I can only work on it every two months. 

 

Yep- I'll stick with bare wood for the rear. I may put in an ash or hickory floor as well. I did that on another woodie using hardwood flooring and it looks pretty cool. The interior of the doors was kind of weird, in that there are "open" areas at the bottom of the door and not a continuous sheet of plywood (or masonite) going to the lower part of the door. 

 

On the inner rear side panels, I'm going to make "prettier" ash trim with finger or box joints. The actual interior ash pieces were no more than sticks and looked like crap. Also, the interior panels were masonite. I'm doing solid mahogany and mahogany plywood instead, as it looks better. 

 

The seats were this ugly green vinyl so I'm doing a nice coffee colored. I took the seats to one upholstery guy who said they were good for nothing but the dump. The second guy said they were in fantastic shape for their age and said it would be no problem at all!!!!

[Tom Boehm]

The first upholsterer just did not want to deal with anything he would have to get his hands dirty on. The only International woodie I recall seeing in person was also yellow and "mechanically modified". It was at the Frog Follies street rod show near Evansville Indiana about 15? years ago. I think the owner was from west central Illinois because he was acquainted with the guy I bought my Lasalle from. 

[blind pew]

They are not common, that is for sure. However, your LaSalle is the only LaSalle woodie I have ever heard of. That is going to be one beauty when you are done. I was a little reluctant to post some photos, as the quality of my work will not be as good as that of the other cars posted here. I do, however, just like doing the work myself, even though it will suck compared to what others will do. I am a better at the mechanical and do professional quality work there (weird- I am a physician, but have been working on cars since age 10). As a woodworker, I suck. I look in awe at the quality of woodworking done by you guys on your cars on this site. 

 

Question- why did you choose using veneer over the plywood, rather than just marine mahogany plywood? Better quality of grain? Smoother glassy appearance when done? It looks outstanding. I have that same look on my Chrysler T&C (it was already done when I bought it). My two chevrolets do not have that same appearance. 

 

Yes- some guys HATE dealing with old cars. I assume it is because they are many old car people who are WAY too meticulous and are a-holes to deal with. I always tell anyone else working on my cars that I am very flexible and easy to get along with, will not make unusual demands, and will offer them double the hourly rate they charge others. Most will take on the work, but others will refuse even that. That is why it is best to do EVERYTHING you CAN DO yourself on these cars, so that you are not reliant upon others. Additionally, it gives you better satisfaction. I like the cars I did myself better than the ones I bought already completed. 

 

Thanks for the support on the yellow. It actually was one of the factory colors, but my two boys thought the color choice was poor. I don't have any yellow cars either, so it will "fill a void in my life"!

Edited February 27, 2021 by blind pew (see edit history)

[blind pew]

a few more photos

[Tom Boehm]

I had the plywood custom made because I could get exactly what I wanted with materials and services locally available. I wanted Honduran Mahogany on one side and birch on the other. The ready made mahogany marine plywood used either asian or african mahogany and no birch. I also got the thickness I wanted. I know, I was picky about that. I put about 8 coats of varnish on the mahogany. That filled up the grain and then I wet sanded it and buffed it with rubbing compound. I was not concerned with filling up the grain on the ash. 

 

As far as woodworking, I have always liked working with my hands. Before I got the Lasalle I made small stuff with a router and a small table saw. After I got the Lasalle I got more and better woodworking equipment and took some seminars at Woodcraft on how to use them. Now that I have experience, I think there are some general guidelines on doing good work:

1 You have to have the woodworking machines to do the job with the capacity to do woodie work. Professional cabinet shop grade equipment is not necessary but bench top size machines are too small. *******MOST IMPORTANT is you have to know how to set up the machines to do accurate work. ********

 

2 Hand tools have to be razor sharp and you need the sharpening tools to make them razor sharp.

 

3 I find that infinite patience and then some is required to do good work. I only work on the Lasalle when my mind is into it and I have good concentration. 

[GregE]

I'm not sure if you have already contacted me in regards to my 41 International K1 Woodie that was featured in a recent issue of the Woodie Times. Contact me If you have questions or need some reference photos or info on parts, etc. The wood in the pictures looks a little different than my 41. I am curious if there was a metal tag on the passenger door body frame?

[blind pew]

The car is at my farm (about 400 miles away). I can check it in October, the next time I am there. 

 

There is a Campbell body plate on the inside above the tailgate. 

 

The body on my car/truck is a little longer, as it was a depot hack. It's about four feet longer than my '48 chevrolet. Its a K3, rather than a K1, so it will be a little different. 

[blind pew]

Paint on the front metal. I've got a Ford Explorer rear end on it and a Mustang II style front end made specially by Custom Engineering out of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. 

 

I have pretty much all the wood refinished, just need to put it back on. Had to replace all the glass. I'm putting in a '59 International engine and four speed tranny, as I hate the non synchromesh transmissions that were original. The original engine only had 86hp, so needed an upgrade to drive on highways (not interstate). I've got a while to go, as I can only work on it a few days every four months and it is located out of state back on my farm.

 

So................................................... bit by bit getting there- slowly but surely. 

 

Greg was nice enough to send the dimensions for the interior fenders, as the guy I originally had doing the painting (after all the metal was removed) LOST my interior fenders! Had to have new interior fenders built by a metal manufcaturing bunch. They are better than new, as they are a heavier guage of steel. I couldn't beleive that idiot actually lost them!!!!!

Edited June 20, 2022 by blind pew (see edit history)

[blind pew]

A little progress- got a Ford Explorer rear end, discs, and wheels on the rear. Putting the new front suspension/discs in. Got the seats all upholstered and have the glass ready to put in . I'll need to sandblast the cowl, frame, undercarriage, and engine compartment before painting. Got all the gauges, wipers, chrome parts, wiring harness, ect.............. I have this 350 miles away at my farm, so I cannot get to it very often. I still work as a physician and cannot devote as much time as I would like until I retire. 

 

I had a '59 IH engine and transmission, but the damn thing was 10 inches too long! So I got a Mopar 318 with a manual A 833 tranny and mechanical clutch to install. 

 

I know the purists will criticize me for "resto-modding" this beast, but I really like to drive my cars and want them to be able to go anywhere SAFELY (no split rims or drum brakes). 

 

The guy who made the front end (Custom Engineering out of Cedar Rapids, Iowa) went bankrupt. I was barely able to get my front end from him. A bunch of people were screwed, as they paid for stuff they never got. I got MOST of the front end I paid for, but not all of the parts. Fortunately, I can get the few remaining parts. The main thing is the cross member, which had to be fabricated to fit the '41 KB3. 

 

Champion has some spiffy aluminum radiators to fit the '41, but with far greater heat dissipation, which will be needed for the 318, relative to the stock engine. 

Edited July 29, 2023 by blind pew (see edit history)

[PhilWood54]

I'm going to say that it must be a Campbell Body, as the rear posts and the belt line molding is the exact same profile as my 1946 Ford 1-ton woodie, see attached pictures.  Looks like the ash is in real nice shape.  As for the interior door panels, they are indeed masonite hardboard.  Mine were all in good condition so I varnished them not knowing how it would come out.  I was more than pleased with the look, very similar to tortoise shell!  They are actually beautiful.

[blind pew]

On 7/31/2023 at 5:52 PM, PhilWood54 said:

I'm going to say that it must be a Campbell Body, as the rear posts and the belt line molding is the exact same profile as my 1946 Ford 1-ton woodie, see attached pictures.  Looks like the ash is in real nice shape.  As for the interior door panels, they are indeed masonite hardboard.  Mine were all in good condition so I varnished them not knowing how it would come out.  I was more than pleased with the look, very similar to tortoise shell!  They are actually beautiful.

That looks great! Do you have photos of the interior?

 

Yes- It is a Campbell body on the IH. I've got all the wood repaired and the plywood panels cut and varnished. The body parts have been removed and are painted. 

 

 

[PhilWood54]

Here are a few interior shots of my Ford 1-ton.  I assume that yours is a similar layout, making it a Club Wagon, in Campbell Misdstates parlance.  Note the interior door panels and how they came out with the spar varnish.  Note also the black linoleum that I used on the floor as a replacement for the black ribbed rubber flooring.  I had it grooved on a CNC router to replicate the look.

Edited August 5, 2023 by PhilWood54 (see edit history)

[blind pew]

Wow- thanks!

 

That looks great!

 

I see what you are saying about the masonite. That looks stunning (and prob better than mahogany plywood). 

 

You've really done some beautiful work there. I was wondering about that support pole.................I thought it would be all metal. It looks a lot better made out of wood anyway. 

 

Did you consider leaving the wood floors "bare" and just refinishing them? I was thinking about that, but really like the linoleum you have put down. 

 

Thank you VERY MUCH for the photos. That has answered several of my questions regarding the interior!

Edited August 5, 2023 by blind pew (see edit history)

[PhilWood54]

Well, anyone with a Campbell Body on a truck has to figure out holding up the roof to avoid the dreaded swayback look.  I've seen metal poles as well as roof ribs "sistered" with side ribs, but the ash pole to me was a better alternative.  Bare wood floors never crossed my mind since I was going for an accurate restoration, support pole notwithstanding! To be honest, I'm not sure that the ship-lapped floors would close up enough to keep out water, smoke, exhaust and gas smells.

[blind pew]

Hmmmm....................... I guess I didn't consider smells coming up. I may reconsider the wood floor. 

 

I like the pole- it looks good. I was thinking about metal, but yours looks cool. 

[blind pew]

Getting there.............................. Sometimes I almost feel embarrassed to post photos of my project, as my work is a far cry from the superlative workmanship I see on the site. As an amateur, I'm happy with it and enjoy doing the vast majority myself. I learn things in the process, which was a big reason for doing the car myself. I use vacation time from my practice to go work on it at my farm. There are a few things I can't do, which I "farm out", but otherwise I do everything myself. I struggle with the large, three dimensionally curved wood pieces, which I have never been able to master. 

 

On the right rear photo, it appears as though the long horizontal piece of ash has a rough finish- it's actually very deep woodgraining, as the finish is very smooth (down to 1200 grit sandpaper). That was all done with most of the parts removed and placed horizontally, rather than attempting to apply the finish with the parts oriented vertically. In my experience (even with thinning), there will always be the occasional small run in the finish which will happen if the process is not done with the part lying flat, which will drive you crazy over time. I tried to do a "satin" (rather than gloss) finish on the ceiling, as that seems to be the appearance on my other woodies. 

 

I've got to install the pile of parts I made. It appeared to me as though the interior of the International KB was far too "Spartan" in appearance, so I made some ash arches to go over the interior wheel wells/internal fenders as well as ash/mahogany "base boards" to go on the perimeter of the floor and few additional horizontal and vertical ash pieces to duplicate that seen on the exterior. I did a mock up of it and it looks really cool, as one might suspect it would be too busy. The arches over the interior fenders (very nice woodgrain) will make it "pop". To paraphrase "The Big Labowski", the horizontal ash pieces which abut the arches "really ties it together" on the inside. I made all the interior panels out of mahogany (solid, not plywood on the front doors), rather than masonite, as I thought masonite would look like crap. However, one of our members posted photos of masonite interior panels in his car and they looked outstanding. The appearance he got was like a "marbled", tortoise shell like appearance. Had I known that, I would have done the masonite, but I did not have the benefit of those photos of his car prior to doing the interior door panels. I additionally have to put in the "stripper pole" for the midpoint ceiling support. It originally had an unsupported mortise joint for the "keel" of the ceiling, which I would have anticipated (and it has) to cause a sagging in the roof/ceiling over time. 

 

For the under carriage, I did not sandblast, but instead used a wire brush to remove all the loose rust (didn't fill pits), cleaned with paint thinner, and then painted in situ with rust converter initially and then gloss black over that. I've sandblasted an under carriage before and found it messy and unwieldy, thus choosing to go with this option. There is more elbow grease associated with this approach, but I don't have the mess of sandblasting to contend with and achieved a good result. I thought about using POR-15 over the rust converter, but have found in the past that stuff is a bitch to get off your skin with any drips, which are certain to happen when working underneath the vehicle. I would assume that the rust converter will abort any rust progression and it certainly will not be driven on wet/salty roads anyway. The frame and under carriage was remarkably solid on this car, which was somewhat surprising. In addition, nearly ALL of the ash frame wood was good; there were only a few pieces that had to be remade/replaced due to beetle bore damage. I "probed" the rest of the wood to insure it was solid, even though it had no exterior evidence of damage. 

 

I'm sure the purists will not approve of the additional wood pieces; however, it is a "resto mod" with a modern engine, tranny, suspension, wheels, brakes, and rear end, so it is not like it was going to be stock at all. I had to reposition the gas tank to accommodate the dual exhaust- it is to the rear, rather than in the middle of the vehicle. I think I will have my farm welder build a steel "cage" exterior over the gas tank to avoid "Pinto like" disasters. As one can see, the wheels/tires are wider than the originals; I had to cut the floor to accommodate the wider wheels, but who cares- it's all covered up by the internal fenders anyway.  I got the "artillery" wheels for it and will paint the non chrome area the same color as the body. The wheels (despite modern wider tires) will have the appearance of older type wheels. 

 

Doing the ceiling was not pleasant with all the sanding from a very awkward position. It appears as though it paid off, though. I guess I could have pulled out the individual slats and worked on them externally, but they were in good shape and elected to leave them "in situ", as I thought I might break some with removal and finishing externally. 

 

The doors and tailgate are done and just need to be installed. I need to paint the cowl, put the roof on, put it in the windows, and install the new gauges/knobs and it will be ready to roll. It currently, runs, starts, stops, shifts, and drives well (around the farm). It's a lot further on than it appears, as a good deal is finished and not on the car (doors, tailgate, hood, front clip, fenders, ect). The interior control knobs are somewhat useless, as there is no "throttle" or "choke" on a modern engine and the heater is going to be a modern, electric heater (having anti-freeze running through something in the passenger compartment gives me the willys), so the "heater" control does not control the heat. Nonetheless, it would like odd to not have the knobs/bars there, so I guess they will be dummy control bars. 

 

This was done to be a DRIVER, not a show car, thus the resto-mod choice. In addition, this KB model had some things which I would consider to be unfit for the highway (split rims, drum brakes, 85 hp engine which would preclude highway speeds, no seatbelts, knee shocks, gear box steering). I am also no match for the other guys on the site regarding wood working, but the finger joints, sliding dovetails, precision is good enough for me. All the parts fit well and don't have any ugly gaps. The good thing about the interior is that there are ash pieces which hide all the screws used to secure the plywood panels and the "seam" in the mahogany plywood on the interior, otherwise that would look like crap. When I took it apart, there were two mahogany plywood panels split at a point which is covered by a vertical ash trim piece, rather than one big plywood panel (I guess it was easier to install that way- who knows). 

 

It's interesting as well when you take apart one of these Internationals. The workmanship on the wood parts is not what you find on "The Big Three" car makers. Lots of use of screws, rather than joints and glue, which I thought was kind of ugly. Thus I have made an effort to hide the screws with ash pieces and have used other methods to affix/join parts which looks better. 

Edited March 10 by blind pew (see edit history)

[PhilWood54]

looking real good!  I love the name "stripper pole" for the roof support.  If you don't mind I'm going to borrow it.  I get that these Campbell bodies were certainly spartan, they were work vehicles, after all.  I took the liberty of covering my interior wheel wells with the same upholstery material that was used on my seats.  Between the guys stepping on them to get to the rear seats and the dings from tire chains coming loose they were a mess.

[blind pew]

5 hours ago, PhilWood54 said:

looking real good!  I love the name "stripper pole" for the roof support.  If you don't mind I'm going to borrow it.  I get that these Campbell bodies were certainly spartan, they were work vehicles, after all.  I took the liberty of covering my interior wheel wells with the same upholstery material that was used on my seats.  Between the guys stepping on them to get to the rear seats and the dings from tire chains coming loose they were a mess.

 

 

Thanks! I certainly understand that my job is amateuristic compared to the outstanding jobs posted on this site. However, I like working on the cars and understand that it would look better if I had a professional do it, but it would not be any fun. I have found that when you do everything on the car, you immediately know what is going on if there is a problem, as you are intimately familiar with the potential weaknesses of the vehicle. 

 

Stripper pole? I guess I inadvertently revealed something that I would consider to be a common frame of reference from shared familiarity!🤣My nurses and I were talking about common "striper names" we see among some patients. One of my nurses pointed out, "Heck- YOUR WIFE has a stripper name (her name is Cherri)". I suddenly realized she was right and would have installed a stripper pole in our home had I made that correlation when we were younger! She's 6 ft tall and 135 lbs still and looks exactly like the Corrine chick from "Swing Out Sister". I definately out kicked my coverage there.

 

 I  didn't even think about the wheel well covers getting "dinged" by people stepping on them. I can certainly see that happening. I like the idea of covering them to protect them. This may sound stupid, but with "traffic" over the interior wheel well covers, would black rubber mats cut to the shape of the well cover (it has a "flat" top and is curved only in two dimensions) be a good option?

Edited March 10 by blind pew (see edit history)

[blind pew]

More work on the International. I added some trim pieces that were not originally used in the International, as they were somewhat spartan. I used dowls, rather than screws, for a lot of the pieces for something different and a color contrast. I liked the dowls so much that I think I'll pull the screws out of the mahogany horizontal piece below the window trim and use ash dowls. I don't know why it looks like there is some white stuff on the interior wheel wells (there is not); it also looks like some "white stuff" on the finish of parts- there is not. Must be the photo. I made some "quarter round" trim out of ash and mahogany to put at the border of the linoleum, but couldn't put them in until I glue down the linoleum. I like the way the arches around the wheel wells turned out- it was fun as well to use some finger joints in making them. 

 

I couldn't glue down the linoleum, as it was too cold. I have to do a little minor trimming. I do like the linoleum- I've always done hardwood flooring instead on other cars, so I wanted to try linoleum. Tony was very helpful in buying the linoleum- nice guy.

 

I moved the battery connections to inside the cab (it will be just behind the front seat) for easier access and I had to make some room for duel exhaust. I found a cool old "tool box" with a lid in which to place the battery and conceal it. 

 

I know that many purists will condemn the additional interior trim pieces, but I'm a resto-mod guy, have several woodies, and just want to do something different. It's more fun that way. I know my project is far more amateurish than those posted here, but what the hell- it's fun for me. 

 

Next up to install the windows. I am holding off on installing the doors and tailgate (even though they are done), as I have to paint the cowl yet. 

 

My front floor pans are gone, so I need to find used floor pans, reproduction, or patterns to have them made by my welder/metal guy. Any thoughts on that?

Edited April 6 by blind pew (see edit history)

[Tom Boehm]

Your finger jointed interior curves turned out nice. What are you doing for seats? Were the originals in the car when you got it? If so, are you able to save them and get them re- covered? What are you going to use, leather? vinyl? I just got mine back from the upholsterer on Friday. I will post pictures as soon as I can get someone to help me lift them into the car. 

[blind pew]

22 hours ago, Tom Boehm said:

Your finger jointed interior curves turned out nice. What are you doing for seats? Were the originals in the car when you got it? If so, are you able to save them and get them re- covered? What are you going to use, leather? vinyl? I just got mine back from the upholsterer on Friday. I will post pictures as soon as I can get someone to help me lift them into the car. 

Thanks Tom!

 

I know its rough compared to the work you guys do, but its okay for me. 

 

The seats, oddly, were not in that bad of condition. The frames and springs were just fine; I had them re-upholstered in vinyl, rather than leather. I've done most of the cars I have in leather and wanted to do something different. I do like the look of a high quality leather, however.

 

Yes- you are coming along very nicely with that LaSalle! I'm going to make another trip to my farm in a few weeks and put in the remaining windows, put on the tailgate, glue down the linoleum, and put in the rest of the ash woodwork.

 

I found someone to paint the cowl as well over the next month. I had originally planned to do all the metal in yellow, but changed my mind and will do black fenders with a yellow hood, front clip, and cowl. I have new gauges to put in, which will be pretty easy. I did not like the shape of my floor pans in the cab, so am having new ones made with a thicker gauge steel. Got a "stripper pole" to put in the center for support of the roof (as the expanse is longer than most woodies). I initially was going to use a brass "fireman's pole", but stuck with a more muted, blackened bronze.